The Shadow of the Shadow God (4)
The wind carried the faint scent of distant mountains as two men stood facing each other beneath the shade of an ancient pine.
“It has been a long time, Senior Brother.”
“……”
“It seems you aren’t pleased to see me.”
“……”
“You’ve grown stronger.”
“Haha, that’s just like you, Senior Brother. After seven years apart, that’s quite a stiff greeting to give your junior.”
“It felt awkward.”
“Me?”
“The greatest talent ever produced by the outer sect. A prodigy so exceptional that even if all the martial monks of the main temple were gathered, he would still rank among the top three. And now that same person has become the leader of an entire sect.”
“You flatter me too much. I was simply fortunate.”
“The Geumgang Kwonmun, was it? The name of the sect you lead.”
“That is correct.”
“I’ve heard its reputation. It is counted among the most prominent sects in Henan, second only to our main temple.”
“All thanks to the support of Shaolin’s main temple. Without it, how could our humble sect have grown to this extent?”
His sly personality remained exactly the same.
However, Beom-oh did not underestimate Lee Beon. Beyond his skill, the man possessed a cautious and sharp edge that contrasted with his outward demeanor.
Not only that, his pride in Shaolin ran exceptionally deep. While his personality made him somewhat difficult to deal with, Beom-oh did not dislike this junior brother.
“By the way, now that you are a sect leader, is it acceptable for you to wander around like this? The great Lee Beon—someone considered the strongest among the younger generation.”
“Haha, those words have already become outdated. Even back then, I don’t recall ever hearing anyone call me the greatest among the younger generation.”
Beom-oh’s eyes gleamed.
“Yeon Hojeong……”
“Yes. And Moyong Woo, the commander of the Tangma Army, is with him as well.”
For a brief moment, Beom-oh felt a phantom ache in his left arm and the top of his foot. Byeoksan Palm. In front of the great elder of the main temple—Abbot Gong Gong Dae-sa—he had suffered an overwhelming defeat at the hands of a junior who was far younger than himself.
The shock from that day was beyond words. He had believed that after years of secluded training and wall-facing, he had elevated Shaolin’s martial arts to a higher realm. Yet he had been shattered in just a few exchanges by a youth who had barely passed twenty.
At first, he had been furious. No—he simply could not accept the loss.
At the time, Beom-oh had believed that Yeon Hojeong had employed excessively underhanded methods.
It was not the way of the righteous path. It had not been a fair contest. Ambush, stepping on the opponent’s foot, and using tricks to confuse the senses—those were not techniques worthy of the orthodox sects.
That was what Beom-oh had thought. Once.
It was Gong Gong Dae-sa who had given enlightenment to him as he seethed with rage, nearly on the verge of fainting.
“How immature. In a spar, there are times to win and times to lose, yet you cannot regain your composure after a single defeat? Were your five years of wall-facing all in vain?”
“Fourth Uncle! That man’s martial arts are not of the righteous path!”
“Then? Are you saying they belong to the evil path? From what I saw, there was no demonic energy mixed in his true qi, nor had he learned any demonic arts. On the contrary, it was an orthodox divine art carrying a sacred energy comparable to our temple’s own supreme techniques.”
“That’s not what I mean! An ambush? In a fair spar, he ambushed me and stepped on my foot! That is the behavior of black path scoundrels!”
“Then, does that mean the martial arts of Shaolin you learned were so shallow that they could not even respond to such black path tricks?”
“……!!”
“Defeat is defeat. Had it been a fight to the death, you would not be standing here complaining to me. You would already be dead.”
“B-but……!”
“You called them cowardly tricks? Then tell me—do you believe you would have won if Yeon Gunju had faced you fairly without using any underhanded means? He suppressed you without even revealing his full strength. If he had used everything, how many moves do you think it would have taken for him to defeat you?”
“……!!”
“Do you think locking yourself in a room and throwing punches will improve your skill? You may have grasped the principles of martial arts, but if you cannot manifest those principles through your body, your martial arts are only half complete. That is exactly what your current state is.”
“……”
“Accept your defeat with humility. For a monk, excessive competitiveness is already a flaw, yet you show such a disgraceful appearance. It seems the position of next Nahandaengju was too heavy a burden for you.”
“F-Fourth Uncle, Abbot!”
“The Nahandaengju embodies the very essence of Shaolin’s martial arts. It is not a position one can bear simply by having high cultivation. Shaolin’s martial arts are like an iron fortress. And within such martial arts lies a near-perfect combat methodology that will not crumble no matter what technique the opponent employs.”
“……”
“Even before considering your character, your ability itself is unworthy of the position of Nahandaengju. If your skill is lacking, you should at least be humble—yet how can you show such a pathetic sight? In your current appearance, I see the shadow of a third-rate thug from the gangho.”
“……Fourth Uncle?”
“I am greatly disappointed in you today. What exactly did you learn during those five years? Were you simply another one of those countless old trees that relied solely on talent, only to snap after a single defeat?”
“……”
“Start over from the beginning. Whether you remain in the Alliance, return to the main temple, or wander the world—I will not stop you. Reflect on what you lack. Until you gain confidence in your own transformation, do not even think about knocking on the door to my residence.”
The words had been brutally harsh.
Beom-oh had never seen Gong Gong Dae-sa express such disappointment toward anyone. Yet the target of that disappointment had been himself.
How deeply disappointed must the abbot have been to speak such words? Drenched in the bitterness of defeat, Beom-oh had felt as if his very soul was being burned away by the abbot’s cold rebuke.
Several months had passed since then.
For those several months, Beom-oh had not trained in martial arts. He occasionally threw punches, but they were nothing more than an outlet for his frustration, not true cultivation.
He had even failed to properly perform the energy circulation and breathing exercises that he had never once skipped since first learning martial arts. Perhaps because of that, his body felt heavy and his joints seemed rusted over.
And now.
Beom-oh had come looking for Lee Beon after hearing what the Shaolin monks within the Alliance were saying.
“I heard you are heading to Guangdong Province.”
“That is correct. It is an order given directly by the abbot.”
“Are you going to support the Martial Alliance’s Yugun unit?”
“Yes. In Guangdong Province, there are people connected to our family who have been living in seclusion. The abbot’s command is for me to work with them to restore order to the southern murim. Of course, only after the Yugun unit has finished cleaning up the board.”
A hint of doubt appeared in Lee Beon’s eyes.
“And you are going as well, Senior Brother?”
“……”
Beom-oh could not answer easily.
Although he had shut himself in his room and immersed himself in thought, his mind had not grown calm. If anything, it had only become more complicated.
The one thing he had realized, however, was that he had been far too arrogant. And that arrogance ultimately led to the idiom jeongjeojiwa—a frog at the bottom of a well.
Of course, realizing something and truly accepting it were two different matters.
“……If you don’t mind.”
“Yes?”
“If you agree to let me accompany you, I would like to go together this time.”
A small look of surprise bloomed on Lee Beon’s face.
The Beom-oh he remembered was not the type to speak in such a manner. It wasn’t that he was arrogant, but he had never been someone who showed much courtesy to others either.
Yet now his senior brother was asking a favor of him—his junior. With a troubled expression and eyes heavy with fatigue.
To Lee Beon, that fact felt incredibly refreshing.
“Although I may be the leader of a sect, you are undoubtedly my senior. If a senior from the same school wishes to accompany me, how could I possibly refuse?”
Beom-oh shook his head.
“I have no intention of making you uncomfortable. If it displeases you, I will act separately, so do not feel burdened. You have your own important mission. As your senior, I have no desire to interfere in the slightest.”
“……!”
Lee Beon’s gaze toward Beom-oh grew strange. So this is what the abbot meant.
He recalled his conversation with Gong Gong Dae-sa.
“Someone may ask to accompany you. I occasionally pass by that ‘fellow’s’ residence, and although his true qi has grown dull, a trace of clarity has begun to mix into that once-fiery aura. However, considering his personality, he will not be able to sit still and simply cultivate.”
“Pardon?”
“Since he is the type to act before thinking, if he wishes to go with you, take good care of him. Of course, I do not know whether he will actually move. I am merely saying this in case it happens, so do not pay it too much mind.”
Only now did Lee Beon understand. The ‘fellow’ the abbot had spoken of was none other than his own senior brother, Beom-oh.
Senior Brother is changing as well.
Something must have happened. Something he did not know about.
Lee Beon smiled.
“If Senior Brother accompanies me, it would be like gaining a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses. Far from refusing, I would be grateful beyond words.”
“I do not know how much help I will be. Still, I will do my best not to become a burden.”
“Haha, why would you say such a thing? On the contrary, I should be the one asking for your guidance.”
“Then let us do so.”
“By the way, may I ask one thing?”
“……?”
“Do you have separate business in the south? I was curious why you wish to go with me.”
Beom-oh’s eyes deepened.
“There is someone I wish to see. That is all.”
Frrrrrr!
The red horse snorted violently and pawed at the ground.
Yeon Hojeong gently stroked its neck as he looked down at the vast landscape of Guangdong Province spread out before him.
It’s wide.
Guangdong was known for its considerably hot climate. Its winters were similar to, or even warmer than, autumn in the northern Central Plains.
It was spring now, yet Guangdong’s spring was more humid and muggy than expected. It wasn’t enough to bother the elite warriors of the Uijeong Army, but it could still subtly drain their stamina.
No matter what, I cannot drag the Uijeong Army around recklessly. Unless the moment for complete annihilation arrives, I must not send them into the city prematurely.
The current Shadow God—Yayul Jeok—had established his base in Guangdong Province.
As a major figure in the underworld, his influence would likely rival that of the Mukryong-bu, which had taken root in Hunan. Naturally, he would have placed informants everywhere. If the Uijeong Army moved, information would reach Yayul Jeok in less than half a day.
Saeum Sect.
Yeon Hojeong took a deep breath.
He had heard from Yang Cheon that Yayul Jeok was a warrior from the Saeum Sect. The moment he learned that fact, his heart had pounded wildly.
Although they were grouped together as the Three Sects, the enemy he had clashed with most frequently during his time as the Black Dark Emperor was the Saeum Sect. Naturally, his feelings were completely different from when he had faced the military commanders of the Shinwha Sect.
Yeon Hojeong steadied his mind.
He could not allow his emotions to fluctuate every time he faced a fated enemy. On the contrary, he needed to remain even calmer.
While gently stroking the Red Sparrow’s mane, Yeon Hojeong fell into thought.
Even though he comes from the Saeum Sect, to become the Shadow God, one must perfectly master the previous generation’s assassination arts. And the Shadow God’s assassination arts that I know are truly the best in the world. In other words, that bastard Yayul Jeok possesses both the martial arts of the Saeum Sect and the greatest assassination techniques under heaven.
Just thinking about it made him a difficult opponent. Because he knew exactly how terrifying the martial arts of someone who bore the title of Shadow God could be, he could not help but feel tense.
However.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes shone.
His vision, enhanced to the limit by inner energy, caught sight of a single mountain faintly visible in the far distance.
It’s fortunate that I know his location.
Yeon Hojeong spoke to Moyong Woo.
“Have the Tangma Army wait on the wild mountain to the front-left. I will station the Myeolsa Army at thirty-li intervals to facilitate smooth information relay.”
“Understood.”
“Right then.”
Chaarrrrk!
Yeon Hojeong lifted the Flood Dragon Chain and the Mad Dragon Axe that had been tied to the Red Sparrow’s saddle and slung them over his shoulder. He planted both feet firmly on the horse’s back.
“Let’s not drag this out. Finish it quickly.”
Baaaang!
As Yeon Hojeong shot forward, the Myeolsa Army followed closely behind.
The battle against the Shadow God—the clash with the underworld of the southern Central Plains—had begun.